Merchandising and display equipment



July 16, 1929. 5, ANDERSON 1.720,876

IBRCHANDISING AND DISPLAY EQUI QMENT Filed May 31, 1928 Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS S. ANDERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO REID, MURDOCH & COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MERCHANDISIN G AND DISPLAY EQUIPMENT.

Application .filed May 31,

The invention relates to equipments for merchandising and displaying goods such as food products packed in sealed containers. In the wholesale or retail grocery business it is now common practice to store the branded or labelled goods on open-faced shelves or cabinets so that the purchaser may readily see them and conveniently indicate the goods selected for purchase. In some instances, a prospective purchaser will express a desire to examine and sample the goods. If the goods are of the canned variety it is therefore necessary to cut and remove the top from one of the cans. After the contents of the opened can have been seen and sampled they must be thrown away or immediately removed from the can to prevent spoiling. Manifestly this procedure is not only wasteful but inconveniences the dealer or seller of the goods.

One object of the present invention is to provide an equipment which comprises open front shelving which forms compartments for storing supplies of different sealed opaque packages or cans for sale and means for retaining in associated relation with the compartments, transparent jars containing specimens of the goods in the opaque packages or cans so the purchasers may see the character or quality of the stored goods, so that sales will be facilitated and the necessity of opening the sealed cans for inscpection of the goods and the waste inci ent thereto will be avoided.

A further'object of the invention is to provide a device for supporting a jar in front of a cabinet or shelf which operates efiioiently and may be fabricated or manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

Other objects and-advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed. description.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by the claims at the. conclusion hereof. j

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, of a combined display and storage cabinet provided with two devices embodying the invention,

1928. Serial No. 281,674.

showing these devices in their operative position;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the devices, illustrating the man nor in which it is secured to and supported from the shelf with which it is associated;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device discloscd in Figure 2, and;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a sheet metal blank from which the device is fabricated.

The invention is exemplified in connection with an open-faced cabinet or shelving comprising a plurality of horizontal shelves at and vertical partitions b which are suitably secured together to form compartments 0 for storing and holding in place cans (1 containing fruit, vegetables or other food. Secured to the front of the shelf w'of each compartment 0 is a bracket 5 for supporting a glass jar e. This jar is adapted to display specimens of the food in the cansd and is provided with a readily removable cover e. When this cover is withdrawn from the jar,'a prospective purchaser of the goods or food, may sample the specimens to ascertain their quality and character. A characteristic of utilizing a jar or receptacle of this type is that it is not necessar for the dealer or salesman-to open one o the cans (1 when an tending plate-member 9 at the opposite side of said circular member 7 The latter forms a base upon which the bottom of the jar e rests. The strip 8 extends tangentially to the circular base-forming member 7 and is medially connected thereto as shown in Figure 4. In the fabrication of the device this strip 8 is first bent at the juncture line 10 so as to extend upward from and at right angles to the member 7 and is then bent into the form of a ring or annulus which is of the same diameter as said member 7. The ends of the stri 8 are suitably secured together and the conti uous marginal portions of the strip and memdier 7 are soldered'as at 11. In this position the strip8 together with the base-forming memher 7 forms a socket into which the lower end of the jar e snugly fits and by which said jar is held against accidental displacement. In cutting the blank 6 the strip 8 is preferably made of such length that the ends thereof will abut against each other when the strip is bent into its ring or annular form. This operates to facilitate the fabrication of the device, inasmuch as the proper diameter of the strip is automatically obtained when the ends are bent into abutting relation.

The plate member 9 is radially elongated andis adapted to be secured to the top faceof the shelf a so as to position the base-member 7 and the jar retaining strip 8 outwardly of the compartment 0, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. In this position the jar e is held so that it is independent of the cans d and ma be observed from the sides. The plate-memher 9 is held in its operative position by means of nails or screws 12 which pass through suitable openings 13 punched in said plate-member. A U-shaped slit 14 is made in the central and contiguous portions of the base and plate members to form a tongue 15 which is connected to the center of the base-forming member 7. This tongue is bent downwardly so as to extend at an acute angle and is then bent rearwardly so as to be substantially parallel with the plate-member 9. The sides-of the angled or central part of the tongue 15 are bent together, as at 16 to form a tubular brace which supports the base-member 7 from the bottom. The distal end of the tongue laps the bottom face of the shelf a and is secured thereto by screws or nails 17 which pass through holes 18. The latter are punched in the horizontal part of said tongue. A. characteristic of forming the brace for the basemember 7 in the manner set forth is that the device 5 may be applied to shelves which are of difierent thicknesses because the tongue is more or less resilient and may be bent readily into the proper position.

The brackets 5 may be easily applied to any open-faced shelving by sliding them backwardly into proper position and then driving nails or screws 12' and 17 into the shelves. A transparent jar containing a specimen of the goods stored in the compartment with which it is associated, is then placed in the bracket associated with that compartment, so that a prospective purchaser, may ascertain, by an inspection of the goods in the glass jar, the character and quality of the goods stored in the associated compartment.

The brackets may be easily attached to the shelving, can be manufactured at a low cost and are applicable to shelves of different thickness.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted or limited to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing ea ers from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what it claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A merchandising and display equipment comprising the combination of shelving divided into compartments having open fronts, each compartment adapted to store a supply of sealed opaque containers of goods, forwardly projecting jar-retaining brackets associated with the compartments, and transparent jars adapted to contain specimens of the goods stored in the compartments in con nection with which the brackets are associated, mounted on the brackets for display and inspection.

2. A merchandising and display equipment comprising the combination of shelving diy vided into compartments having open fronts,

each compartment adapted to store a supply of scaled cans containing food products, forwardly projecting jar-retaining brackets associated with the compartments, and transparent jars adapted to contain specimens of the goods stored in the compartments in. corn nection with which the brackets are associated, mounted on said brackets for display and inspection.

h. A merchandising and display eiluipment comprising the combination of shelving divided into compartments with open fronts, and forwardly projecting jar-retaining brackets associated with the compartments, whereby sealed opaque receptacles containing dif ferent goods may be stored in the compartments and transparent jars containing specimens of the goods stored in the compartments in connection with which the brackets are as sociated, may be retained for display and in spection.

4. A merchandising and display equipment comprising the combination of shelving divided into compartmentsiwith open fronts, and forwardly projecting jar-retaining brackets associated with the front of the compartments, whereby cans containing diderent goods may be stored in the compartments and transparent j ars containing specimens of the goods stored in the compartments in connection with which the brackets are associated, 115 may be retained for display and inspection.

5. A bracket for retaining a jar in front of a shelf comprising a plate extended to overlap and fit on the top face of the shelf, provided with means whereby it may be secured on said face and extended to provide a jar retaining member in front of the shelf, an upstanflling ring on the margin of said retaining ember, and a brace member ex tending rearwardly and downwardly from 125 the member to the front of the shelf and extended rearwardly to fit against the bottom face of the shelf and provided with means whereby it may be secured to said bottom face.

6. A bracket for retaining a jar in front 130 of a shelf comprising a plate extended to overlap and fit 0n the top face of the shelf, provided with means whereby it may be secured on said'face and extended to provide a jar retaining member in front of the shelf, an upstanding ring on the margin of said retaining member, and an outstruck tongue extending rearwardly and downwardly from said member to the front of the shelf to form a brace for said member, and extending rear- 10 Wardly to fit against the bottom face of the shelf.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 24th day of May, 1928.

LOUIS s. ANDERSON. 

